beyond the “lazy” label - finding common ground

what older generations can learn from Gen Z, and how understanding can replace judgment.

Most of the stereotypes older generations put on Gen Z sound the same: lazy, addicted to phones, too sensitive.

But the truth is, Gen Z isn’t some failed experiment in humanity - we just grew up in a world the older generations couldn’t have imagined.

“We’re not lazy - we’re just learning to live differently in a world older generations didn’t grow up in.”

We were born into the internet. Unlike older generations, who built their childhoods around neighborhood friends, outdoor games, and long face-to-face conversations, our version of community often started online.

We learned to text before we could drive, to scroll before we could write in cursive. Screens weren’t an add-on to our lives - they were our lives.

That comes with both connection and cost. We can talk to anyone across the globe instantly, but sometimes struggle to talk to the person sitting right next to us. We have access to unlimited information, but also unlimited comparisons.

We were also pushed earlier into “adult” topics - politics, wars, climate change, hunger. While older generations could grow up shielded from constant news, we were scrolling headlines before we even understood them fully. We grew up faster, with heavier awareness than most of us ever asked for.